Cottingham 07 07

COTTINGHAM CHRONICLES “Memories are made of this….” – a few reflections on 6 years in Burundi The “rat, tat, tat” of gunfire in the hills, the “booom” of shells exploding at a nearby Army base, soldiers stationed at regular intervals along the roads, the “swish” of a bazooka flying in front of our vehicles, roads closed by sunset – some of my memories are made up of the sights and sounds of the civil war that devastated this tiny, largely unknown, country in the heart of Africa for thirteen long years.
However, over-riding the inconveniences of a curfew, limited goods in the shops, restricted travel, and cuts to water and electricity supplies, is the memory of the human suffering that was, and continues to be, all around – the bereaved standing gently singing hymns at a grave-side, the street children sniffing glue and stealing wing-mirrors from cars in order to survive, those with lost limbs begging for a few francs outside the shops, the vacant expressions of the traumatised as they contemplate how they will ever be able to rebuild their ruined homes, the hospitalised with no-one to pay their bills so they can leave and go home to their families, those waiting for hours in the scorching sun to receive bags of rice and maize and
Memories are important and we have to know how to deal with the bad and learn to treasure the good. For there are many good and happy memories to treasure - a lot of fun and laughter with friends and colleagues, rising to the challenge of a new job that required the acquisition of new skills, creating a home and settling into a less hurried life-style, opportunities to enjoy the stunning beauty of the country with its lakes and mountains, trees, flowers and animals, along with a whole plethora of other new sights and sounds – all manner of things carried on heads, babies wrapped tightly on backs, everyone wearing brightly printed fabrics, tiny children peeping out from behind parents in order to see the “muzungu” (white woman in this case!) and running away if she got too close! More recently it has been possible to enjoy peace and the cessation of hostilities, and travel around more freely. Friends and family have been able to visit and take away their own memories of Burundi.
Probably the most precious memories are seeing how people’s lives have been transformed – transformed as they experience God’s love and forgiveness, and His power to heal and restore - and transformed as they use their newly-acquired literacy skills to benefit their families and communities, put up their mosquito nets to protect themselves against malaria, and experience the success of a small micro-credit income-generating project.
The central memory for me has been the times I have spent with God, quietly listening to His voice as I have read His Word, the Bible. Time and again during these 6 special years I have returned to the reminder of His faithfulness as it is explained in Psalm 91. I will leave you to discover it for yourself.
			Rosemary’s contact details are: email: rosemaryinburundi@hotmail.com post: c/o EAB BP2098 Bujumbura Burundi